At the 2024 Association for Research in Otolaryngology (ARO) MidWinter Meeting, held in early February in Anaheim, California, our partner Hyperacusis Research hosted a dinner where several researchers presented their latest findings.
How Neurons in the Brain Coordinate Movement and Prevent Falls
Activity by special neurons called unipolar brush cells reveals that they may introduce delays or increase the length of firing responses, and presumably extend vestibular sensory representations.
Leveling Up Awareness About Gaming and the Risk to Hearing
Potential solutions include reducing dynamic range, volume reduction when not actively participating in the game, and actively reducing sounds that are known to induce tinnitus, or hearing ringing or buzzing sounds.
To Me, I Am the Lucky One
I knew how uncomfortable deafness could make people. What I hadn’t expected were some of the reactions my hearing aids got. To me, the hearing aids were life-changing. To me, I was the lucky one.
Genetic Reprogramming Converts Nonsensory Cells into Sensory Cells in the Mature Cochlea
We have artificially expressed three key hair cell fate promoting proteins in nonsensory cells of adult mice, and found that a significant number of these cells will convert into cells resembling hair cells. This offers a potential strategy for hair cell regeneration.
Auracast Update
Because Auracast is part of Bluetooth, there's no extra tech needed to include it in a product. That said, since hearing aids last several years, the transition to most being Auracast-capable will take time.
Changes in the Brain with Age and Hearing Loss
A better understanding of how our brains process patterns with aging and hearing loss, and when neural responses are exaggerated versus diminished, can aid in developing treatments and devices to improve age- and hearing loss-related hearing difficulties.
Are There Benefits to Hearing Loss?
Once I realized that hearing loss isn’t anything to be ashamed of, little by little, I started to speak up for myself. The more I did, the more confident I felt. This confidence has reached all areas of my life.
Seeing Friends at ARO in Anaheim
Palpable excitement was raised by reports from researchers who have recently published results of landmark gene therapy trials in young children targeting the otoferlin gene.
HHF Completes First Phase of Its Transformative Planned Giving Matching Challenge
The 218 planned gift commitments total an estimated $30 million to $50 million, 100 percent of which will be used to fund scientific research on hearing loss and related conditions.